The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-15
THE LATEST HORROR
More Details of Mondays
Railroad Slaughter,
SOME VERY slCKENING SIGHTS.
A Revised List of the Killed and the
Seriously Iujursd-Other
Particulars.
The Railroad Disaster.


sible to obtain correct and complete
list OF the killed and wounded, owing
to the fact that Immediately after the
catastrophe occurred its victims were
hastily removed from the scene, and in
such widely diverse directions, that it is
extremely
DIFFICULT TO TRACE THEM CORRECTLY.
Some OF the injured were at once con-
Veyed to their homes, others were taken
to the hospitals, while others still found
temporary shelter in the residences in
the immediate neighborhood. Some of
the dead Ia majority of them, in fact).
were brought to the city hospital
morgue, but there were others taken 10
the depots at Roslindele, Forest Hi |
and Canterbury. The agents of the
company are now diligently at work
enc eavoring to compile complete stats
tics of the alamity and full list of
the casualties will doubtless be fur
nIshed at the earliest practicable
moment. All day large corps
attending TO the injured, who are more
II,
it being now estimated that nearly
thirty persons received severe wounds.
OF these, 1t is said, number will pro-
badly die.
A CURIOUS FEATURE OF THE DISASTER
is found in the fact that the bridge
went down with tn wreck. Not a
scrap of iron remains attached to the
abutments, and but for the chasm and
awful wreck beneath, there was
nothing to indicate that bridge had
once spanned the river. The wreck of
the bridge lay under the debris of the
train almost completely shut out from
view. Lying by the side of one
of the splintered cars was one
of the main iron Orders of
the bridge, which showed q clean new
fracture through its entire breadth.
This girder was composed of two par
allel plates of heavy wrought iron,
connected by braces of wrought iron
and bolted together. The opinion is
generally expressed by those who have
personally inspected the wreck, that
the breaking of this girder was
THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER,
but there is much doubt as to the cause
of the breaking OF the girder. It is
stated by some that there was Earring
and humping sensation just previous to
the crash, which gives color to the
story that the fourth car, the first to go
through the bridge, was derailed and
thrown from its trunks to the ties on
the bridge with such fury as to cause
its heavy iron
SUPPORTS TO GIVE WAY.
At the point where the parallel 'pieceA
of iron were bolted together there was
found fractu in the iron, part of
which was rusted and indicated an old
flaw, while the other portions showed a
clean fracture. This might. in the opin-
ion OF some persons, indicate that the
old flaw had weakened the truss of the
bridge to such an extent that when the
full weight of the train came upon the
bridge it caused the remaining section
truss to give way; thus, when the train
came upon the bridge, it caused the re-
section truss to give way, thus
the entire structure to fall.
Another fact bearing upon the cause of
the disaster is the condition of he cars
which went overheard with scarcely
less damage. than was inflicted upon the
cars that went through to the hi hway.
The first sign of violence is upon
the woodwork of the second
truck of the first car of the train.
A very violent blow from underneath,
as before mentioned, fractured a very
heavy 4xIn inch oak timber in the
frame of the truck, midway between
the rails and between the two axles.
The blow was so heavy that it
LIFTED THE TRUCK FROM THE TRACK
and derailed the car. Engineer White
says that when going across the bridge
le felt shock, which he thought might |
nave been caused by a broken axle. |
This, however, could not possibly have
been the first cause of the accident, for |
jhe trucks of the first two cars are in |
good condition, except in regard to the
actured oak timber mentioned above.
II the accident IS broken rail,
and it is doubtful, as be-
ore stated, if an investigation of
his point could result satisfactorily,
or there are many pieces of broken
md twisted rails suarled up in the
wreck. The probable cause of the
up of the thee cars nearest |
he engine, which remained on the TOP !
If the embankment is, that they must
AYE
JUMPED THE TRACK
when the rear cars went through the
bridge.
The Busy bridge was built fifteen
ago and during the past ten years
las been repaired three times.
Workmen have been busily engaged
IL day in removing the debris from
he street and from the embankment.
The wreck is so complete that no at
empt was made to save any portion of
he train.
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCES
we're found of the terrible nature of the
isaster, at late hour, as the work of
emoving the wreck progressed. In
ONE places were fragments of flesh or
'ieces of clothing, which had belonged
o some victim whose remains had pre-
'iously been cremated. There was